Lubricating apparatus



Jan. 19, 1943. E w DAVlS 2,308,864

LUBRICATING APPARATUS Jan. 19, 1943. E. w. DAvls 2,308,864

LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 2,308,864 LUBRICATING APPARATUS Ernest W. Davis, Oak Park, Ill., asslgnor to rporation, Chicago, Ill., a

Stewart-Warner Co corporation of Vir Application June 30, 1939, Serial No. 282,051

5 Claims.

My invention relates generally to lubricating apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in hand operated high pressure lubricant compressors, and in the means for priming the high pressure cylinders thereof.

It is an object of my invention to provide a high pressure lubricant compressor which may be attached to a lubricant containing reservoir and which will be effective in withdrawing all of the lubricant from the reservoir.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for conveying lubricant to the pumping cylinder of a lubricant compressor.

A further object of my invention is to provide a high pressure lubricant compressor having improved priming means.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description, and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the lubricant compressor;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the lubricant compressor; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, Certain Darts being shown in different position.

The compressor of my invention is adapted to be secured directly upon a cover I which rests upon a lubricant containing drum or reservoir II. Cover I0 is conveniently secured on reservoir II by means of thumb screw I2 having a shank I3, which is threaded in a nut I4. The nut I4 is held relative to cover I0 and in alignment with a vertical slot in the side wall of reservoir II, by a depending spring wire I5 which is riveted or otherwise secured to cover IIJ, and Welded or soldered to nut I4. 'I'hus when the cover is placed on the reservoir, the shank of the cover securing thumb screw is inserted in the vertical slot in the reservoir and quickly tightened to secure the cover on the reservoir.

A compressor body casting I6 is bolted on top of cover I0 and is internally threaded to receive a priming cylinder I1 which is in the form of a long tube extending substantially to the bottom of the reservoir. The casting I6 has a chamber I8 and a vertical bore or high pressure cylinder I9 in which a high pressure piston or plunger 20 moves. The lower end of high pressure cylinder I9 is closed by threaded plug 2I.

The cylinder I9 is provided with an inlet passageway 22leading to chamber I8 in .the casting I6. A needle valve body 23 threaded in'an inlet opening 24 leading to the cylinder I9 is provided with a needle valve 25 and a small air relief passageway 26, and forms an air bleed valve for the high pressure cylinder.

Opening into the lower end of high pressure cylinder I9 is a passageway having a reduced end portion providing a seat for an outlet check valve 21, which normally is held against said seat by means of a spring 28, and is limited in its travel by a stop forming part of a solid plug 29 which closes the end of the passageway. At right angles to, and entering the side of, the check valve passageway, is an outlet passageway or high pressure conduit 30, to which is connected a high pressure hose 3i shown in Fig. 2. The hose 3| carries at its other end a coupler 32 for connection to a lubricant receiving fitting 33 of a bearing 34 to be lubricated.

The upper end of plunger 20 is threaded into the yoke of a clevis 35, between the arms of which an operating handle 36 is pivoted by a The operating handle 36 is provided with a hand grip 38 for lifting the compressor and cover to remove it from the reservoir II. The end of handle 36 is pivoted on a pin 39 between the forks of a link 40 which, in turn, is pivotally connected by a pin 4I between lugs 42 of casting I6. Between the pivotal connections 31 and 39 on the handle 36, is an elongated slot 43 for receiving a pin 44, thus providing a slidable pivotal connection between the arms of a clevis 45 in which the pin 44 is pivoted, and the bandle 36. 'Ihe upper end of a priming piston rod 41 is securedly held in the yoke of clevis 45 "v a locking pin 46. 'I'he piston rod 41 extends downwardly into the priming cylinder Il from avis 45, through a bore in the head of casting l 6, in which is disposed a packing 48 and a packling nut 49.

The piston rod threaded thereon, and carries at its lower end a circular backing plate 5I held cotter pin 52. The backing plate 5I provides a seat for a coiled compression spring 53 which. at its other end, normally pushes against an upper backing plate 54. The nuts 50 are so adjusted on the priming piston rod 4l that the compression spring 53 will be under constant compression between the upper backing plate 54 and lower backing plate 5I. The upper backing plate 54 is apertured and countersunk to receive two tie rods 55, the heads 56 of which are seated in the upper backing plate 54. The tie rods 55 extend downwardly inside the coiled compression spring 53 and are threaded at their lower ends into a priming piston 5l.

Priming piston 51 is provided with a central bore 56. through which lubricant may now to the priming cylinder. Normally resting on top of priming piston 51, but not secured thereto, is a circular valve plate 56 which, under the action of lubricant flowing into the priming cylinder, will move upwardly on the rods 55 against stops 66. The stops 60 may be in the form of washers pressed over striations on the tie rods 55 and thus securely held thereon.

Closely fitting the inside of the lower open end of priming cylinder I1 is a short tubular member 6I which has its side walls cut away, providing inlet openings 62, and its upper end turned over t provide a valve seat 63 for a foot valve 64. The lower end of the tubular member 6I is fitted within a shallow cup shaped base 65 which, in turn, rests in a pocket in the bottom of reservoir II. In the base 65 is secured a headed vertical guide pin 66 carrying a spring 61 which normally urges the foot valve 64 against the valve seat 63. I

A follower plate 66 has a central annular guide flange 69 adapted to engage and slide freely upon the cylinder I1. By virtue of the use of the follower plate, the lubricant within the reservoir will flow evenly toward the inlet openings 62 at the end of cylinder I1 and there will be no danger of the air piercing the body of the lubricant and forming a channel which would prevent proper ow of lubricant into the cylinder I1.

Secured to, or forming an integral part of, the bottom end of reservoir II, is a foot platform 16 upon which the operator may stand while using the compressor, thus stabilizing the reservoir.

In operation, when the handle 36 is raised, as shown in Fig. 3, the piston rod 41 moves upwardly causing the lower backing plate 5I to urge compression spring 53 upwardly, thus raising the tie rods 55 and piston 51. When piston 51 moves upwardly, lubricant will be drawn through inlet openings 62, past foot valve 64, and into the priming cylinder I1. Upon the downward movement of operating handle 36 as piston rod 41 moves downwardly, the adjusting nuts 56 will force the upper backing plate 54 and associated tie rods 55 downwardly, and the lubricant in the lower end of the priming cylinder will be forced upwardly through bore 56 in piston 51, past valve 56 into the priming cylinder a-bove piston 51, the foot valve 64 being closed by the action of its associated spring 61 during this operation.

Upon the upward stroke of piston 51, valve 59 will close and lubricant in the cylinder I1 above piston. 51 will be forced toward chamber I6. Spring 53 will be compressed under the pressure of lubricant which has filled chamber I6 and cylinder I1. Because of the relative sizes of priming cylinder I1 and high pressure cylinder I9, priming piston 51 will continually urge more lubricant toward the high pressure cylinder than said cylinder will take; thus when the high pressure plunger moves upwardly and clears the port of passageway 22, the lubricant in the chamber I3, which is under considerable pressure from piston 51 under the action of spring 53, will quickly and with considerable force, flow into and lill the high pressure cylinder.

Upon the downward stroke of the operating handle 36, high pressure plunger 26 will force the lubricant in the high pressure cylinder I9 past check valve 21 and through the hose 3I and coupler 32 to the lubricant receiving fitting 33 of a bearing 34 to be lubricated.

In order to obtain maximum leverage on the high pressure plunger, the centers 31 and 33, i. e.,

the pivotal connections between high pressure plunger clevis 35 and handle 36. and between link 40 and handle 36 (the lever tulcrum) vare positioned as close together as conveniently possible. And because of the relative sizes oi' the high pressure cylinder, and the priming cylinder, it is desirable to position the pivotal connection for the priming piston rod 41 through its clevis 45 to handle 36, between the centers 33 and 31. Under these circumstances, the piston rod 41 has been cambered slightly as indicated at 1I so the piston rod 41 enters the upper part of the priming cylinder substantially vertical.

Hence, when the operating handle 36 is raised,

lubricant is drawn into the priming cylinder I1 below the priming pistonl and at the same time lubricant in said cylinder above the priming piston is forced into the high pressure cylinder. And, upon each downward stroke of the operating handle, lubricant in the priming cylinder below the priming piston is forced into thepriming cylinder above the priming piston, and, at the same time, lubricant in the high pressure cylinder is forced past the check valve to the bearing to be lubricated.

The air bleed needle valve 26 may be used to remove air pockets from the lubricant and to bleed the air from the compressor during initial operation of the compressor while the priming cylinder is being charged.

When all of the lubricant is withdrawn from the reservoir, the cover I6, follower plate 63, compressor body and priming cylinder may be removed from the reservoir and additional lubricant supplied thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A high pressure lubricant compressor for use in conjunction with a lubricant reservoir comprising a high pressure cylinder and a plunger reciprocable therein, a priming cylinder in communication with the high pressure cylinder, a piston rod in the priming cylinder, a backing plate on the lower end of said rod, an upper backing plate through which said piston rod extends, a spring between said backing plates and around the piston rod, tie rods held by the upper backing plate and extending downwardly therefrom, and a priming piston carried by the lower ends of the tie rods and reciprocable in the priming cylinder.

2. A high pressure lubricant compressor for use in conjunction with a lubricant reservoir comprising a high pressure cylinder and a plunger reciprocable therein, a priming cylinder in communication with the high pressure cylinder, a piston rod in the priming cylinder, an apertured backing plate on the lower end of said rod, a coiled compression spring around said rod seated against the backing plate, an upper backing plate through which the piston rod extends, said backing plate being normally urged upwardly by said spring, a piston in the priming cylinder below the piston rod, and tie rods held by the upper backing plate and extending downwardly inside the spring and alongside the piston rod through the apertures in the lower backing plate, said tie rods being secured in the piston.

3. A high pressure lubricant compressor comprising a high pressure cylinder, a plunger reciprocable therein, a priming cylinder in communication with the high pressure cylinder, a piston rod reciprocable in said priming cylinder, a backing plate iixedly secured on the lower end of said piston rod, an upper backing plate on said piston rod, a compression spring between Asaid backing plates normally maintaining said ing it withy said priming piston means to operate the priming piston and plunger simultaneously to discharge ,lubricant from the priming cylinder into the high pressure cylinder, a valve operable during each discharge stroke of the priming piston to admit lubricant into the priming cylinder, and a second valve in the priming piston operable during the return -stroke of the prim= ing piston for admitting lubricant to the priming cylinder above the priming piston.

4. A high pressure lubricant compressor com prising a high pressure cylinder, a. plunger reciprocable therein, a priming cylinder in communication with said high pressure cylinder, a priming piston reciprocable in said priming cylinder feeding lubricant to the high pressure cyl-= inder in excess of the discharge rate of the latter, a piston rod reclprocable in the priming cylinder, a resilient connection between said primingpiston and the priming piston rod to permit independent movement of the piston rod and priming piston during the priming stroke of said piston rod when the contents of said prim- 3 ing cylinder are under substantial pressure, said resilient connection comprising a backing plate on the lower end oi the priming piston rod. a compression spring surrounding the piston rod and seating on the backing plate, a second backing plate normally maintained in abutting relationship with a stop on said piston rod by said spring, and tie rods mounted in the second backing plate and carrying the priming piston on their lower ends.

5. l'n a. high pressure lubricant compressor of the class described, the combination of a low' pressure cylinder adapted to be connected with a source of lubricant, a piston reclprocable in said cylinder, a spring for driving said piston in a direction to discharge lubricant from said cylinder, a high pressure cylinder, a lubricanttight conduit between said cylinders through which all lubricant discharged by said low pressure cylinder is conducted to said high pressire cylinder, a piston reclprocable in said high pressure cylinder, an outlet for said high pressure cylinder through which the lubricant is discharged, a handle for reciprocating said high pressure piston, and a connection between said handle and said spring to energize the latter during the suction stroke of said high pressure piston.

ERNEST W. DAVIS. 

